The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-08-27
THE VESTS WISHES.
The Next Republican Candidate and
What Is Said About Him.
An Antl-saIoon Republican Of MIchI-
gan Predicts Who He May Be.
Temperance, Prohibition, and tho
Antithesls-cIeveIand's Chances.

HntitnesIS-CIevelan Chances.
Hon. George NJ. Dewey, of Owosso, Mleh.
was In Portland few hours Yesterday, hav-
ing come in from Old Orchard, where he par
tlcipated In the temperance debate on Thurs
day. Mr. Dewey is New Hampshire man
by birth, but has made his home In Mlehi-
gan since youth, and has become promi-
nent political leader in that State. He Is ed
itor OF the OwossO Times, and one Of the
brightest stump speakers In the West. Near
ly every campaign be comes East and stumps
his native State Of New Hampshire. Like
ninety per cent Of the Republicans Of Mich
igan and three-fourths Of the party In the
other Northwestern States, Mr. Dewey Is a
pronounced anti-saloon man. As his con-
iiet with Col. Eustis on Thursday showed,
he Is fully posted on the history, traditions
and aspirations Of the Republican party, and
he gave to the Press yesterday some very
interesting points on the condition and pros
poets Of the great, live party Of the great
live West.
"Yes, indeed" said Mr.. Dewey, ''the Re
publican party Of Michigan Is for putting
down the liquor traffic. Ninety per cent Of
it is strong for prohibition, and II IL had not
teen for ten or fifteen thousand cranky
Third Party people who win hear to only
impraeticable schemes, there would not be
half so many saloons In Michigan today. IL Is
true that constitutional prohibition was de-
feated at the polls by about FIVE thousand
votes at the recent election; but that Is ex-
planned by the attitude Of the miners in the
northern peninsula. They are principally
Poles, Hungarians and other foreigners who
have no sympathy with the present move
ment They went to the polls In a solid
mass against prohibition. think, on the
whole, II is as well, perhaps, that the amend
ment was defeated. Prohibition could not
have been enforced for years In the Northern
Peninsula. or in the city Of Detroit.
Right after the defeat the legisla-
ture assembled, and the Republicans
tion law. Under this law prohibition will
become the policy Of every country In which
a majority Of the voters so will Probably
sixty-five out Of the eighty-four counties viii
be carried for prohibition. The counties
win vote on this question in October. The
Third Party Prohibltionists, who will have
the rum shops put down in their particular
way or not at all, will probably give this law
no effective support.
"As in Michigan, so in the other North
western States, the great mass Of the Repub
lican party Is firmly and consistently an anti
saloon party. There Is in It a German ele-
ment which Is in favor Of beer, but this ele-
ment Is relatively small"
''What do you think Of the proposition 10
reduce the surplus by taking the internal
revenue tax OF OF tobacco, and especially of
whiskey?"
'We are In favor Of that In Michigan. You
see we feel that the surplus, so long as Con-
gress Is not disposed TO make right use Of
1t, is too large and should be diminished. We
also believe In protection In Michigan as you
do in Maine. SO we think the best thing 20
do TO reduce the surplus is to take of the in
ternal revenue taxes This would afford a
substantial reduction Of revenue, while, a re-
duction Of the tariff would In all probability
increase the revenue, since 1t would stimu-
late Importation"
"Butwon't the idea Of letting an article
like whiskey go untaxed strike the temper
anee people of the West unfavOrably, and
give the Third Party people an effective cam
paign ery?"
"Oh no. The political Prohlbitionists Of
my State have declared In their platform that
taxation Of whiskey Is but a licensing and
eountenanclng Of the iniquitous traffic.
They would thus be estopped from criticism,
and the true Republican friends Of temper
ance recognizing that IL Is the whiskey drank
and not the whiskey manufactured that
makes the trouble, think II will not make
much difference II the whiskey maker is re-
lieyed from his tax so long as the whiskey
seller Is shut up and driven out"
"H0w about the next Presidential con-
test2 interrupted the reporter at this point.
There Is nothing doubtful In the West
about that score. Michigan IS for Blaine,
and always has been. IL Blaine should be
nominated | think he would sweep the
Northwestern States, everything clean west
river"
''Yes, Indiana; Blaine could carry Indi-
ana without doubt. The West Is sure for
him II he IS nominated. The only trouble
VIII be In New York, Connecticut and pOssi-
bly, Massachusetts. New York Is the pivotal
State. All eyes will be turned towards her.
We have other favorites In the West as
well as Blaine, though. 1 rank the eandi-
dates thus in the preferences OF the people:
First. Blaine, second, Allison; third, Lin
coin; fourth, Sherman. Allison is a fine
Iowa and the West. But, after all, II Blaine
should withdraw In the convention | will
tell you the man TO whom the men Of the
West would go over in troops. He Is not
Allison.
sherman"
mo. not sherman
Robert T. Lincoln, the son Of the mar
tyred war President, the intellectual peer Of
any American statesman. A man capable Of
standing by himself without the aid Of a
great name."
I'VE have always thought that the mention
Of LincOln's name In connection with the
Presidency was the result Of sentiment"
said the reporter.
''lt may be in Maine, but Il is not so who'll
~ in the West. There we recognize that
Lincoln Is an able man, and IL nominated he
would surely be elected. Every old soldier,
every son Of soldier, every negro from
Fortress Monroe to Paso del Norte, would
turn out to vote for Robert Il. Lincoln"
IF Lincoln should be nominated we think
that the ticket would be Lincoln and Haw-
ley. Hawley Is very popular In the West II
Allison should be nominated l think the
ticket would be Allison and Blair"
blair Of Miehigan?"
"Oh, no, Blair Of New Hampshire. DO you
realize what warm place Henry w. Blair
has In the hearts Of the people Of the North
western States? They believe him to be a
thoroughly upright, honest, strong man. In
the years of the Greenback excitement he
made speech on the Honest Dollar That
speech was distributed widely In our country.
think copy Of it went into every family,
1t was published as n continued story In all
the little papers Of the west. Everyone read
i, and It made Blair famous man in the
Northwest"
What other Eastern Senators are most
prominent In the west?"
"Hawley and Blair are most talked OF.
Frye Of Maine Is thought well OF, too"
HAS the fame Of many Of our New Eng
land Congressman gone into the West9'
"Of one, certainly"
"Wh0?"
"Reed, Of Maine. When the next Congress
shall assemble the Republicans Of the whole
Northwest will be solid for himl for Speaker
of the House. As the Democrats will con
troll the House, Of course his prospects Of
election are not very bright, unless the Free
Trade and Randall Democrats refuse toagree
on Democrat"
"How do the Democrats Of the West feel
about Cleveland" asked the reporter
There Is a strong opposition TO him. IL Is
10 placate the feelings Of the Western Demo-
Gratis that he has arranged TO swing around
the circle"
"HOw about HIP"
HE Is not the coming man after Cleve-
land. The coming man Is lying low. hut he
Is there, nevertheless. He Is a Western man.
too,-hoadley, OF Ohio. He Is able, popu-
ia, .ar, Win good record,-and full Of tricks as
the Devil Is full Of sin. Good day"
RAILWAY MATTERS.